Saints Row IV

 PC
User Score
7.4

Mixed or average reviews- based on 1958 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,179 out of 1958
  2. Mixed: 514 out of 1958
  3. Negative: 265 out of 1958
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  1. Luxx
    Aug 24, 2013
    3
    The critics must have not played Saints Row: The Third, that's the only plausible explanation as to why they would give this game such a high score. Like many other users, I found this game to be Saints Row: The Third Redux. It should have been a DLC, but Volition and Deep Silver wanted to be greedy and make users pay full price for a game with 10% new content, the only blatantly obviousThe critics must have not played Saints Row: The Third, that's the only plausible explanation as to why they would give this game such a high score. Like many other users, I found this game to be Saints Row: The Third Redux. It should have been a DLC, but Volition and Deep Silver wanted to be greedy and make users pay full price for a game with 10% new content, the only blatantly obvious difference between the two games is the main story line. I was incredibly excited for this game when I played a few minutes of it at E3, not being able to play enough to know how much like The Third it really was. This would be a great game to get if you didn't already play Saints Row: The Third, but if you have you are most likely disappointed with SRIV. It is quite buggy, driving into invisible walls in the middle of the street, characters not animating correctly, getting stuck in menus, and if you play co-op, both players will not be able to participate in the interactive cut scenes, the person hosting the game will be the one in control of the cut scenes. There are major clipping issues on the characters in terms of clothes and hair, but the Saints Row franchise seems to make that the norm. Using certain powers is wonky and not user friendly as you must double tap a key to enable them. In conclusion, I am pretty disappointed and feel incredibly stupid for buying into the hype and purchasing this game. I hope this review has been helpful to someone … Expand
  2. Jediblues
    Aug 20, 2013
    4
    Saints Row the 3rd was over the top, yet fun. Saints Row 4 jumps the shark. Instead of being tethered in reality yet laced with absurdity, it abandons all pretense at reality and leaves the fun at home in the process.
  3. bordo
    Aug 25, 2013
    0
    I loved Saints Row The Third. But Saints Row IV is basicly SR3 plus aliens and super powers. Feels like a DLC. Almost everything stays the same. And with the super powers, it is too easy and boring. I was expecting something new and fun, disappointed.
  4. SmashLampJaw
    Aug 22, 2013
    0
    Saint's Row 4 is a game that is inferior to Saint's Row 3 in nearly every conceivable fashion. It has less content, it controls worse, it is shorter, it may even look worse. It has a dumber narrative with dumber characters and less interesting secrets to find and things to do. Saint's Row 3 replaced much of Saint's Row 2's substance with style, but it at least kept some of that substance.Saint's Row 4 is a game that is inferior to Saint's Row 3 in nearly every conceivable fashion. It has less content, it controls worse, it is shorter, it may even look worse. It has a dumber narrative with dumber characters and less interesting secrets to find and things to do. Saint's Row 3 replaced much of Saint's Row 2's substance with style, but it at least kept some of that substance. Saint's Row 4 replaced all of the remaining substance with more style. Not worth playing.… Expand
  5. Oprotten
    Aug 20, 2013
    0
    The game is pretty bad. Almost half of it was just taken from Saints Row The Third. This is basically the new CoD series, release a new game with a new map, new guns, new characters, a new storyline, but still keep a lot of the content the same.

    Saints Row 3.5 fails
  6. uprentiss
    Aug 22, 2013
    1
    This game is absurd and ridiculous, It is the exact game that saints row the third was except it adds a new story. same city, same cars, basically the same clothes except a ridiculous uncle sam suit, also there is super powers which takes it's theme directly from prototype/infamous. So in the middle of a story they take a game and turn it into utter and complete garbage and then take a dlcThis game is absurd and ridiculous, It is the exact game that saints row the third was except it adds a new story. same city, same cars, basically the same clothes except a ridiculous uncle sam suit, also there is super powers which takes it's theme directly from prototype/infamous. So in the middle of a story they take a game and turn it into utter and complete garbage and then take a dlc and charge us full game price for it. this is the exact same game as sr3 it is literally sr3.5. Also you get to play as a toilet, which is ironically where this piece of crap should be… Expand
  7. DOSfan
    Aug 21, 2013
    0
    really really enjoyed 2 and the third.
    this is a mish mash of crap from other games, seems like it lost all of its character.

    it's pure gimmick..........
  8. RealCritical
    Aug 23, 2013
    0
    I played others Saint's Row games but this is really bull compared to other sagas, i hope these 'developers' think about what are they doing... and the price is too high for this.
  9. killingspree
    Aug 20, 2013
    1
    GTA ripoff but with silly, quirky gameplay that is just retarted. Pass this one up it's not worth it. I I don't understand how this series is even selling, it's terrible.
  10. SambaL
    Oct 28, 2013
    2
    "hey, you know what, let's take Saints Row 3, add some Crackdown and Prototype gameplay to it and overpower the layer so you don't have to use cheats anymore!"
    -
    "But.. sir.. why still have the vehicles to drive and have vehicle customization if you can run faster and jump over buildings and water?" - "That's not what people want Jenkins! People want all kinds of weapons and wrestling    "hey, you know what, let's take Saints Row 3, add some Crackdown and Prototype gameplay to it and overpower the layer so you don't have to use cheats anymore!"
    -
    "But.. sir.. why still have the vehicles to drive and have vehicle customization if you can run faster and jump over buildings and water?"
    -
    "That's not what people want Jenkins! People want all kinds of weapons and wrestling moves and super powers to play around with."
    -
    "That what i was saying sir, why still have it in there. Why still call i Saints Row at all?"
    -
    "Jenkins?"
    -
    "Yes.. sir?"
    -
    "You're fired!!!"    … Expand
  11. VOP2288
    Nov 5, 2013
    4
    Let me preface by saying that I've played all three previous Saints Row games and quite enjoyed them.

    Saints Row IV however I could only tolerate for about five hours. Whereas the first two titles, and to a degree the third, focused on delivering a not so tongue-in-cheek humored-filled parody of the Grand Theft Auto series the fourth installment instead decides to concentrate on    Let me preface by saying that I've played all three previous Saints Row games and quite enjoyed them.

    Saints Row IV however I could only tolerate for about five hours.

    Whereas the first two titles, and to a degree the third, focused on delivering a not so tongue-in-cheek humored-filled parody of the Grand Theft Auto series the fourth installment instead decides to concentrate on upping the ante set by Saints Row: The Third in regard to its more ham-fisted ridiculous aspects.

    The result? A game that appears to have been conceived by a group of drunk twenty-somethings with the mental maturity of thirteen year olds (who are also possibly drunk).

    The game opens with the protagonist being the President of the United States who then gets attacked and abducted by aliens and thrown into a Matrix-style program world of Steelport. In this fake world the player is then immediately given the ability to fly, jump fantastic heights, sprint at mach speeds, and use magical powers. Recall the premise of the first Saints Row and just let that explanation sink in...

    You're literally given "God-mode" from the outset making things like driving and customizing vehicles, using weapons, and even giving a second thought to the experience/ability trees completely moot. Everything that basically made the Saints Row series, on a gameplay level, an actual interesting and engaging experience has been thrown out the window in favor of gimmicks and flash. The game isn't even all that funny either which, when you think about it, is kind of a main draw of the series.

    I will not be surprised AT ALL if Saints Row IV is the last game of the franchise.    … Expand
  12. AFCA_FLORIS
    Dec 15, 2013
    2
    Saints Row 4 is basically sr3 with superpowers and a depressing steelport. I paid $20 for it in the steam autumn sale, and even for that price it's a rip off. Should've been a 5-dollar dlc!
  13. TachyonSA
    Nov 17, 2013
    3
    The only thing worth playing this game for is the humour or if you're the kind of person who wants to be told how to play, then this is for you. Several sequences continue to tell you which keys to press and when.. I don't see much fun in that.

    It would seem a lot of modern games (like this) these days presume the player is an idiot and can't figure out stuff for him/herself or can't    The only thing worth playing this game for is the humour or if you're the kind of person who wants to be told how to play, then this is for you. Several sequences continue to tell you which keys to press and when.. I don't see much fun in that.

    It would seem a lot of modern games (like this) these days presume the player is an idiot and can't figure out stuff for him/herself or can't learn by making mistakes.. which in my opinion is 1 of the hallmarks of great gaming.    … Expand
  14. Quental
    Sep 1, 2013
    4
    This game should be called Saints Row 3.5, as beyond the introduction of super powers makes absolutely no changes from Saints Row The Third. The plot is mediocre at best, graphics aren't any better, guns, cars, clothing, all virtually unchanged from the previous installment. It makes me wonder what took so long to release the game, since they simply copy/pasted half the game from theThis game should be called Saints Row 3.5, as beyond the introduction of super powers makes absolutely no changes from Saints Row The Third. The plot is mediocre at best, graphics aren't any better, guns, cars, clothing, all virtually unchanged from the previous installment. It makes me wonder what took so long to release the game, since they simply copy/pasted half the game from the previous game.… Expand
  15. notwist
    Aug 27, 2013
    3
    Let me preface this by saying that I was not a fan of the previous Saints Row games, so if you were, this review probably does not apply to you and you will likely have a good time. Buy it. If you haven't played Saints Row, or if you slightly disliked the previous games, read on.

    I was first introduced to Saints Row in a sort of middle period after having finished GTA4 and waiting    Let me preface this by saying that I was not a fan of the previous Saints Row games, so if you were, this review probably does not apply to you and you will likely have a good time. Buy it. If you haven't played Saints Row, or if you slightly disliked the previous games, read on.

    I was first introduced to Saints Row in a sort of middle period after having finished GTA4 and waiting anxiously for GTA5 (which I am at the time of writing still doing, but not for long). It's pretty obvious from the get go what the purpose of Saints Row is; it's like GTA, only a lot more fart jokes, explosions, nudeness, unrealistic characters and so on. If playing a game that essentially feels like nothing but a developer sandbox for six hours because you love explosions, Saints Row is fine. It is entertaining in that way.

    The problem I have with Saints Row is that it has no compelling characters, and no compelling plot. I will say that I have no problem understanding why this is, the plotlines are by nature ridiculous and over-the-top, but for me personally I just can't become engaged in a game that literally does not have a story.

    For SR4, you might say it has a story. I would say the story is a thin film, present only out of necessity, to tie together the millions of popular culture references (do a barrel roll!) and "crazy" events throughout the game. It's obvious that the point here was to make a game that was as crazy as possible, and that's fine. It's true to its roots, because this is what Saints Row has always been about. However, the bottom line for me is that a game without a story is just as bad as a movie or a book without a story. I wouldn't want to watch a movie with 90 minutes of fart jokes and pop culture references either, where it feels like the plot was constructed on top of cramming all that stuff in to make it sort of fit.

    So, if you're like me and you need an engaging story and characters that have more complexity than a sack of potatoes to get you through a game, I think this game probably is not for you. This game is for the choir, those that already know and love the Saints Row series. It's not for me.    … Expand
  16. Smartazma
    Aug 27, 2013
    4
    If you never played Saints Row the 3rd, this game to you will be weird but entertaining. If you have played Saints Row the 3rd, this game will be very disappointing to you. This was just a letdown; it feels like a DLC for Saints Row the 3rd. It's unfinished, unpolished and expensive for such a poor attempt at a game.
    But, like I said, if you've never played any other Saints Row game, you    If you never played Saints Row the 3rd, this game to you will be weird but entertaining. If you have played Saints Row the 3rd, this game will be very disappointing to you. This was just a letdown; it feels like a DLC for Saints Row the 3rd. It's unfinished, unpolished and expensive for such a poor attempt at a game.
    But, like I said, if you've never played any other Saints Row game, you will most likely enjoy this one.    … Expand
  17. hellhoundpro
    Aug 31, 2013
    3
    SEVERELY dissapointed. I loved Saints Row 3 and I REALLY wanted to love this game. But do you know what this game boils down to for me ?

    It feels like I'm playing a ton of minigames over and over and over and over. Which would be ok if they minigames were enjoyable, but for the most part I think they are really dull. Beyond this the powers feel OK they don't flow well in my    SEVERELY dissapointed. I loved Saints Row 3 and I REALLY wanted to love this game. But do you know what this game boils down to for me ?

    It feels like I'm playing a ton of minigames over and over and over and over. Which would be ok if they minigames were enjoyable, but for the most part I think they are really dull.

    Beyond this the powers feel OK they don't flow well in my opinion and the movement never feels very precise. Graphics are fine nothing special. Sound is kinda meh, I think the radio stations are really which you can say just use your own music but when that is such a big crux to your game I think that should be mentioned. Writing is honestly the only place where this game shines but I don't think its worth suffering through the very repetitive gameplay. In addition to these major flaws there are a TON of minor flaws that are just irritating to deal with so be prepared. I'd say avoid.    … Expand
  18. artanis
    Oct 26, 2013
    0
    This game is a huge disappointment. It's nothing more than a big set of terrible DLC for SR3. It's the exact same world map as 3 just reskinned as Tron.
  19. mywordz
    Aug 25, 2013
    4
    It has the same animation as the 3rd, and just added some stupid superpowers. the game has lost it...

    really bad game. i wish i didnt spend 45 bucks on it :(

    buyer beware
  20. orosznyet
    Aug 27, 2013
    4
    This game is a huge disappointment, worn out and it should be a DLC for the third episode. I know many people say similar things but it's true.

    The super powers are really cool but they make many things unnecessary in the game (basically each vehicle). There are cars/helicopters in the game but you will never use them until you are being forced (by a mission). You better jump&fly    This game is a huge disappointment, worn out and it should be a DLC for the third episode. I know many people say similar things but it's true.

    The super powers are really cool but they make many things unnecessary in the game (basically each vehicle). There are cars/helicopters in the game but you will never use them until you are being forced (by a mission). You better jump&fly because the waypoints of each missions located on the opposite side of the map which is really annoying. (I think the travel takes the most of the time spent in the game.) Complete waste of time. A new map would save the situation but It's the same as it was in the previous release. That's why I have to mark the game as a refurbished SR3 there is nothing left to explore.

    They kept some old activities and renamed/reskinned them. Lazy bastards. The new rift activities are... mostly "meh" for me. That rushing activity wasn't that bad. Plus they removed the best activities related to Genki. Sad panda is sad.

    The enemies aren't serious threats but annoying ars*holes. I hate when they throwing fireballs (whatever) at me 10 times in a row and I can't do anything just watch how I burn. This is not hard but annoying which is not the same.

    The best thing about the game (in my opinion) is the reviewed game menu. I loved that. Well, the menu responsivity is far from acceptable but it looks nice.    … Expand
  21. K00pa
    Sep 6, 2013
    4
    I cant see the fun in that game, its basically SR3 with Running and Jumping night time and dumb looking aliens. The gameplay is so clumsy and the humor fits for 12 year olds. Just a big expensive dlc pack for kids.
  22. Mutant_Central
    Sep 8, 2013
    2
    Where do I begin with this game? This is one of those games where you have to be careful how you review it because, if you say one wrong thing, someone will have your throat which leaves you questioning 'which of us was in the wrong?', but I digress.

    This game for me was very disappointing, also to me at least I felt a bit lied to about the whole thing. Now before I begin I am going to    Where do I begin with this game? This is one of those games where you have to be careful how you review it because, if you say one wrong thing, someone will have your throat which leaves you questioning 'which of us was in the wrong?', but I digress.

    This game for me was very disappointing, also to me at least I felt a bit lied to about the whole thing. Now before I begin I am going to point out this now...I will not be judging this game on the fact it was originally going to be DLC, even though I could and make the score lower, I feel that's kind of a low blow as just because it was going to be DLC doesn't mean it couldn't be a successful standalone game. I am judging this game from a story-line and gameplay standpoint.

    The gameplay in 'Saints Row IV' is very enjoyable, it is fun to run around really fast and jump over buildings. It is really stimulating, I'll happily admit that it’s like you’re a god in a world of toy soldiers. But that is one of the game’s biggest downfalls'. The powers in the game make you too powerful, you are able to get around the map so quickly and easily it removes one of the core features in these city-sandbox games...CARS!!!! They in 'Saints Row IV' now have no purpose or requirement, they were originally there to allow you a faster mode of transport around Steelport, but since now you can just jump over buildings, run across the road at super-sonic speeds and, cars go soaring away like a candy wrapper in an updraft when you run into them. Another thing these powers have done in this is made the game SOOOO EASY!!! Now what I mean is they give you all these super powers to use but then they couldn't think how to make the game still challenging so they made the challenge 'fake', what I mean is they make it so your health no longer regenerates, so you have to get health pickups from enemies which are in large numbers that aren't hard to kill because of your superpowers (also why in Saints Row II & Saints Row the Third do you regenerate health when you're mortal but in this you’re a superhero and you don't?...weird). And finally about the powers is one fact that most positive reviews leave out; the fact that these super powers in a virtual world, already existed in Saints Row the Third's DLC in the real world...and in Crackdown...and in Prototype it basically takes the original ideas of other games and puts them in this (including its own franchise!) even USGamer says and I quote 'While the game's roots as Saints Row: The Third DLC are still showing, Volition has put together an amazing game from a wide variety of sources.' even though it's used in a positive context here the point still stands that the game is just parts of other games. So to summarize:
    Vehicles: Useless
    Enemies: Weak
    Difficulty: None or Easy
    Superpowers: Unoriginal-ception!!!
    Gameplay enjoyment: Fun

    Now the worst half, the story-line...to put it bluntly, BULL CRAP!!! That is all the story is in this. The thing that most people say about this game is, 'this isn't a game to take seriously it's meant to just be a game to kick back and enjoy yourself'. In my eyes that is what free-roaming is for, your own amusement, not the story-line! I remember a trailer saying that this was going to be 'The Most Dramatic Saints Row Game ever!' but that isn't true because for effective drama you need a threat, tension and, believable characters to pull it all off and make you intrigued, this game has none of those traits. The threat in this game isn't threatening. I was never for one second convinced that the aliens would enslave the human race entirely and rule the world at the end of the game, because it was one large invasion! Since there was a large scale threat there isn't any fear that they will win because you know that for this scenario the developers wouldn't do that, but if there was one alien in the game who was superior to you in any and every way and he had a new character prisoner, there would be a small threat that is effective because it creates genuine tension. If Zinyak came alone to earth and was able to stop you very easily and had captured Asha who was just introduced that creates great tension because you don't if in this game their main character or a built-up plot point just ready to die at his hands, and the fact it can go either way makes great tension. There you go, there’s a way to improve Saints Row IV straight away! Also the characters are just gone in this game, they just aren't them selves. And that sucks because I like these characters but in this I don't. The comedy is all wrong as well as the charm of saints row 2 & 3 was it was serious and funny but this is just funny that isn't really funny at all.

    So overall I'd say don't waste your time, if you take the time to see the issues with this game, you'll start to notice obvious flaws. In my opinion: save yourself $40-$50 and buy something else; crackdown... or Prototype. Seriously it's the same game    … Expand
  23. Pensioner
    Aug 29, 2013
    1
    86 from critics? It's recycled content that was meant to be DLC and it shows, if you have Saints Row 3 and the super power DLC then there is nothing new for you here. It is literally the exact same thing.
  24. Slight0
    Aug 25, 2013
    2
    After having dealt with this game's for hours on end and having been ejected out of the game for the 3rd time today by some random crash I'm finally putting it down. I regret not buying the physical CD so that I could at least get the satisfaction of hurling it across the street and watching it shatter on the sidewalk.

    As a disclaimer, I actually liked saints row the third, thought it    After having dealt with this game's for hours on end and having been ejected out of the game for the 3rd time today by some random crash I'm finally putting it down. I regret not buying the physical CD so that I could at least get the satisfaction of hurling it across the street and watching it shatter on the sidewalk.

    As a disclaimer, I actually liked saints row the third, thought it was an enjoyable experience, and gave it a 7.5/10 or so. Saints row the IV, however, does absolutely everything wrong and gets a 2/10. You see, GTA and prototype had a baby, drank moonshine and did PCP the entire pregnancy, then promptly aborted the baby at 8 months in order to give birth to this brilliant abomination.

    Where to start. The game throws out any sense of logic, immersion, fun, and challenge right away at the door and CONSTANTLY reminds you that it did so IN THE DIALOG throughout the game. Your first moments in the actual game put you right back in the exact city you played in the 3rd one with a few alien towers scattered about. Same cars, same insanely dressed cardboard pedestrians, same buildings, same boring grey sky, same side quests, same outdated graphics. You quickly realize you're playing just about the same exact game with this new super hero system bolted onto the side. You can run super fast and jump really high similar to prototype. In fact the movement system is identical to prototypes except... *drum roll* no parkour system whatsoever!!! Expect to get stuck on light posts, fences, random overhanging ledges, or anything that isn't flat. You're really overpowered even with the new pickup based health system (one of their only good ideas). You also quickly learn a fireball spell which literally clears the entire field of enemies with a single blast with a powerful CC and spreading DOT effect. There's really no fun in being immensely overpowered and pointlessly running between the ship and the simulation to complete the same boring ass side missions over and over. Some were fun like the on foot/motor cycle racing ones, but no one wants to play them 10 times. By the way, your main form of progression in the game comes form tediously collecting hundreds and hundreds of glowing "code bits" scattered around the world... have fun.

    Apart from the game being really easy and the new movement system being annoying and jarring to use (even from a prototype veteran parkour master sensi), its also really really buggy. You can ram a tank and send it FLYING into space without losing any speed but a car you bump into while running can hit a wall, bounce off it, and instantly ragdoll you on contact and it happens ALOT (this goes for any debris as well). Cars going 40mph across an intersection also can ragdoll you even though one of your punches will send it flying over a gas station. There are an assortment of glitches and bugs specific to each mission that either slow you down a lot or force you to restart the game and could have easily been fixed if any amount of beta testing took place.

    As for the story, its simply flat, boring, and stupid. The game is mostly about you and Kenzi talking back and forth which essentially boils down to "Hey kenzie, what's the plan?", "Go disrupt the signal relay so the simulation code overloads and we can siphon data from the internal storage module" "What?" "Go shoot the big glowy thing and kill aliens" "Oh, why didn't you say so". Huh huh huh, that gets pretty old after the 10th time. If you thought the opening missions were bad, wait until you rescue Johny Gatt. Your entire crew instantly starts sucking up to him like they've all been childhood friends in the most corny, cliche, and forced fashion you could possibly imagine. You get the feeling that the characters are literally begging for your forgiveness on behalf of the developers for even having thought about killing Johny Gatt in the last Saints game. Before that, you had to rescue each saint from their own mental simulations which was a good idea, except it was really repetitive, easy, and unimaginative. My favorite was saving Big Ben which ironically was a simulation of a scene from the first saints game. At least you can go around and have sex with every crew member you rescue, so that's cool... and confusing.

    Anyways, I expected a lot more from this game than a steaming pile of garbage. This will probably be the last saints row game they make unless the apocalypse starts early or something.

    2/10    … Expand
  25. DireMelon
    Aug 25, 2013
    4
    Terrible port, Max Anti aliasing of 8x msaa causes barrels to look like squares, Corpses have white edges round them. Terrible game play, Even on the hardest difficulty it has ridiculous auto aim with terrible AI, The AI barely knows that they can shoot and when they do they miss by a mile, There is no challenge to the game and not worth the money. With Saints Row 4 you get exactly whatTerrible port, Max Anti aliasing of 8x msaa causes barrels to look like squares, Corpses have white edges round them. Terrible game play, Even on the hardest difficulty it has ridiculous auto aim with terrible AI, The AI barely knows that they can shoot and when they do they miss by a mile, There is no challenge to the game and not worth the money. With Saints Row 4 you get exactly what you get with saints row 3 but worse.… Expand
  26. lowbeo
    Aug 25, 2013
    1
    A pretty disappointing addition to the Saints Row series. The developer should make an original IP instead of shoehorning what they want to do in this series, completely disregarding the previous games and giving a middle finger to its fans.
  27. Dethstar
    Aug 25, 2013
    4
    Very clever twists and turns in the story of the Saints. Unfortunately, that's about as far as I can go with this. It feels like a game very badly ported from a console. SR3 was superior in terms of gameplay and movement. I get barely passable performance in highest detail with 2 Titan cards. (Tried turning one off) some glitches went away but the performance just didnt make sense.Very clever twists and turns in the story of the Saints. Unfortunately, that's about as far as I can go with this. It feels like a game very badly ported from a console. SR3 was superior in terms of gameplay and movement. I get barely passable performance in highest detail with 2 Titan cards. (Tried turning one off) some glitches went away but the performance just didnt make sense. The graphics looks far more basic and the gameplay feels like it is less engaging than was the case previously. The main problem is really the glitchy control and very low rez looking textures. I brought alot of DLC for the SR3 and maybe I got a graphics packs somewhere along the line. This feels like a far older game. It just feels older than it should and the usual humour and saucy characters are not enough to hide the disappointing issues under the surface. Did SR3 get a lot of flack for being a little adult before? It feels like this has been toned down quite a bit.… Expand
  28. DrZoidberg1000
    Sep 7, 2013
    0
    I didn't think it was possible, but everything I said in my SR3 review works here as well. Volition, go yourselves for selling out.

    Enough with the GTA comparisons. Having played every single GTA and Saints Row game, I can assure you that they aren't even close to competitors. The Saints Row series has really declined over the year, yet everyone hails this game as being a savior    I didn't think it was possible, but everything I said in my SR3 review works here as well. Volition, go yourselves for selling out.

    Enough with the GTA comparisons. Having played every single GTA and Saints Row game, I can assure you that they aren't even close to competitors.

    The Saints Row series has really declined over the year, yet everyone hails this game as being a savior simply because GTA IV was too boring. Most of the people who are reviewing this game never played SR1, so they think Saints Row was always this ultra silly, casual alternative to the slightly more serious GTA. In the first game, the whole focus was the 3rd Street Saints. You weren't a Gary Stu, you were just a wild card in the gang. Most of the gameplay revolved around following your Lieutenant's orders. You actually had to use gang members, play the activities, and gain territory. It wasn't simple, nor was it easy. Level 8 Snatch activities, I rest my case. Those were infuriatingly impossible.

    In the first game, we had more clothing customization. We had more layers of clothes to choose from. We could zip and unzip outfits, turn hats, put up our hoods, lower our pants, and frankly do whatever the hell we wanted. There was more intricate jewelry, a wider variety of clothing stores, and most importantly of all, colors mattered. Nowadays, respect is nothing more than some equivalent of levels in your average RPG.

    In SR1, you could rob stores at different times of the day. If you burglarized stores at night, you broke in to the back, cracked the safe, and carried out boxes of goods. You then had to load them into trucks and drive them to a fence.

    In SR1, you could buy liquor and joints. Not that getting high or drunk was all that important, but it made you feel more like a gangster and it also allowed you to punch people ridiculous distances.

    In SR1, activities had 8 levels instead of 6. The final 2 levels of practically every activity were absurdly challenging, even on Normal.

    In SR1, respect and money didn't grow on trees. You couldn't just buy meaningless properties that sit there in a static environment and do nothing. You actually had to play the activities and contribute to the well being of your gang to continue to do missions. In SR3 respect is thrown at me for taking a piss on the sidewalk.

    In SR1, there was an actual story worth following. Los Carnales, the Rollers, and the Vice Kings put the SR2 and SR3 gangs to shame. Benjamin King alone is a better character than the combined cast of SR3. The narrative isn't limited to LOL SO RANDUMB kind of humor made for 12 year olds who are convinced that GTA is supposed to be some ultra silly casual party game. That's literally where the SR2/SR3 audience came from. They played San Andreas, thought that every GTA game was like that, got mad about GTA IV, then forced their way into the Saints Row userbase.

    In SR1, there were stronghold missions. Even these were kept in SR2. In SR3, a stronghold is some useless building with nothing to do in it that sits around and makes you more money to spend on absolutely nothing.

    In SR1, your phone was actually useful. There were phone numbers all throughout the game that made Stilwater feel much more alive and real. It wasn't limited to 911, taxis, and other dumb ****.

    I could continue to go on about all the features that SR1 had that were stripped away in SR2 and further removed in SR3, but I'll end with this. I 100% completed Saints Row The Third in 17 hours and 40 minutes. If you actually think this game deserves anything more than a 6, you must have the lowest standards on the planet. There is no new content to this game. The more serious tone has been completely abandoned for stupid kiddie humor and bland characters with absolutely no development. The whole community is filled with idiots who want furries and ponies and random they find online. The quality of game was sacrificed for slightly improved graphics in a boring, static city with no exploration allowed. The worst part is that there is genuinely no content. Once you beat the missions, clear the activities, and get the collectibles, you're done. The activities are so short, I have 100% control of the city before the story even ends.

    Saints Row 3 is a bastardization of the previous two Saints Row games. The worst part is, this game is a pile of rubbish BEFORE the season pass bull**** I can only hope this was a product of mismanagement at THQ, and that Volition will do better in the future like we know they can. Oh wait, the same problems are happening under new management.    … Expand
  29. Sandboxgamer
    Aug 23, 2013
    0
    It has a censored AU version that is utterly incompatible with every other country.
    And to top it all off the bug reports on the steam forums are piling up.
    All in all this is the death of a franchise.
  30. connerity
    Sep 6, 2013
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. First of all I will say that this game is probably enjoyable for people that didn't play SR3.

    I am, however, quite disappointed.
    By trying to go even more over the top than Saints Row: The Third, they nearly ruined everything.

    I will now list all the good and the bad things I found most noteworthy.

    Good:
    -They improved the engine a lot from SR3, it looks better and runs a lot smoother
    -The new characters are interesting, especially Benjamin King
    -The voice actors are superb and bring the characters to life, the dialogues are snippy and often good for a chuckle
    -First mission is hands down one of the most awesome ways to open a video game. I mean, riding a intercontinental missile while disarming the nuke, landing in the president's chair, what do you want more
    -First 2-3 hours were quite fun, as you always got new toys to play with, discovering new things, etc.
    -some of the new weapons are quite cool, like the an*l probe and the blackhole launcher

    Bad things: (in no particular order of badness)
    -the game consists of 70% Saints Row: The Third, some activities have new wrappings, but they're still the same old inside
    -the remaining 30% are: 20% Matrix (the movies), 5% other video games/movies/pop culture and 5% original content I hope for Deep Silver that they got permission to use exact soundfiles from Metal Gear Solid)
    -they chose near-maximum movement distance between every (step of a) mission. I spent about 40% of my total playtime just running around to go to the next mission
    -while all the new stuff you get is all fun the first few times, it gets old really fast, using abilities, doing activities becomes extremely repetitive after a few hours, so I couldn't bear with it anymore and did the main storyline and the loyalty missions
    -the missions themselves also become very repetitive very fast
    -the first 4 powers that you get kinda get your hopes up that the remaining 4 will be as awesome, but they are all really lame in comparison
    -the story makes absolutely no sense at all. Don't even try to make sense of it, it's not possible.
    -the highly advertised "romance" features, from which I hoped they would be like in rpg games like mass effect or the witcher, are just: press R for sex, that's it, from the first time you meet a character
    -they seem to have taken BOTH endings from SR3. Shaundi is alive and there is nothing to be seen from Killbane. They were mutually exclusive in case you can't remember
    -one of the cool things to do in SR3 was tuning cars, since you could adjust colors, etc, very well. It's still there, but after 30 minutes of gameplay you won't ever use a car again, unless forced to.
    -difficulty is extremely low, I did not die a single time on hard mode
    -the playtime is ridiculously short, I finished in 11h 21m with 74% completion
    -the ending creates an unstable time loop
    -collecting the 1155 (no typo, one thousand one hundred fifty-five) collectibles some audio tapes) gets boring extremely fast, they're not even hidden at all, you can see them from hundreds of metres away since they glow-- absolutely no motivation to get them all, and I usually 100% all my games
    -THE most annoying thing for me: The mini "bosses" aka everything that has a shield.
    After you take down the shield with a power, you get a measly 3 seconds to damage the boss.
    The bosses have a huge amount of health, leading to very drawn out, yet unchallenging fights.
    As if that wasn't enough, they can easily stunlock you with their telekinetic throw, even if you press space to recover in midair.
    -knowing the style of SR3, there were almost no surprises. In every situation you know what will happen, because you know how things roll with the Saints.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

16
#16 Best PC Game of 2013
21
#21 Most Discussed PC Game of 2013
4
#4 Most Shared PC Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
86

Generally favorable reviews - based on 45 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 42 out of 45
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 45
  3. Negative: 0 out of 45
  1. PC PowerPlay
    Oct 28, 2013
    90
    A combination of sublime and ridiculous, Saints Row IV is outlandish fun. [Nov 2013, p.97]
  2. Pelit (Finland)
    Oct 5, 2013
    90
    Saints Row IV is wild and wacky, but also provides first class entertainment. [Sept 2013]
  3. Level7.nu
    Sep 10, 2013
    80
    The fourth part in the Saints Row saga is an outrageous, silly and incredibly entertaining adventure. The days of Grand Theft Auto is since long gone and the game reminds you rather of the super hero games Crackdown and Infamous. An unexpected but welcome change.
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